Ticket stacking receptacle



Sept. 29, 1953 R. l. N. WEINGART 2,653,760

TICKET STACKING RECEPTACLE Filed May 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29, 1953 R. I. N. WEINGART 2, 0

TICKET STACKING RECEPTACLE Filed May 4, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 2 [N VEN TOR Sept. 29, 1953 R. l. N. WEINGART 2,653,760

TICKET STACKING RECEPTACLE Filed May 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet s p 3- R. l. N. WEINGART 2,653,760

TICKET STACKING RECEPTACLE Filed May 4, 1951 4 S heets-Sheet 4 A KZZML Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TICKET STACKING RECEPTACLE Richard I. N. Weingart, New York, N. Y.

Application May 4, 1951, Serial No. 224,597

9 Claims.

1 This invention relates to ticket receptacles and relates more particularly to a novel apparatus designed primarily for use in motion picture theatres wherein a two part ticket is employed. One part is separated from the ticket by the ticket collector and returned to the patron and the other part, which is formed with a central 7 hole, is deposited on a spindle, thus allowing the ticket to drop into the receptacle wherein it is inaccessible to the ticket collector.

In order to prevent re-selling of tickets and other acts of collusion between the ticket seller and the ticket collector, it is desirable that the ticket stubs retained for the auditors inspection maintain substantially the same relative order as their order of sale. Inasmuch as the tickets are numbered consecutively this result is readily achieved if the tickets impaled on the spindle are not disturbed prior to examination, an if th is any marked Variance in their order of ap lication to the spindle the irregularity is readily detected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus having plural ticket spindies, only one of which is accessible at one time, and wherein the tickets which have been deposited on the spindle are inaccessible after they have dropped by gravity below the upper wall of the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ticket stacking device wherein the cover section is rotatable relative to the housing, thus exposing the next spindle to view to receive the tickets.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the ticket collector may rotate this cover to position a succeeding spindle for application of the tickets and wherein the cover becomes automatically locked relative to the housing when the cover has been rotated to a predetermined point and when this has been done no more tickets may be applied to the spin.-

.le. The cover can be rotated to this locked position whether the spindles are filled with tickets or not. At no time can one not having a key to the housing, tamper with the contents.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section taken through an apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view partially in section of the upper portion of the apparatus with the cover in place;

Fig. 3 is a broken view partially in section of the upper end of the apparatus with the cover removed and showin the method of removing tickets from the spindles;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus with the cover removed and a portion of the upper wall broken away;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower surface of the cover;

Fig. 6 is a broken section of the pawl arrangement for positioning the cover in one of its Stations;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a ticket strip including five interconnected tickets;

Fig. -8 is a perspective view of an apparatus which is a modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a central, vertical, broken section taken through such modified form;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the apparatus with the cover removed;

Fig. 12 is a bottom. plan view of the cover;

Fig. 13 is'a broken section taken on line Iii-43 of Fig. 12.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a generally cylindrical vertically disposed housing 10 which is mounted on a circular base I l formed with an annular seat l3 to receive the lower end of the housing. Screws or rivets l4 secure the housing in the base.

The base forms a lower wall I5 for the housing and there are formed in the lower wall openings I6 which are equally spaced from each other and from the center, three of such openings, one for each spindle, being shown. The openings are inclined outwardly from the vertical. The spin dies I? are threaded at their lower ends to receive nuts 2| above and below the wall for rigidly supporting the spindles in such openings. Because of the outward inclination of the openings, the spindles, preferably formed from spring steel, are biased outwardly at their upper ends for a purpose to be described, Alternatively, the holes could be vertical and the lower ends of the spindles slightly bent to give the same result.

A disc 22 is rigidly mounted flush with the upper edge of the housing by means of angle brackets whose vertical portions 23 are secured to the housing and whose horizontal portions 20 form a seat for the disc. These brackets also have downwardly inclined portions 24 and inner terminal portions 25 formed with openings 26. A cable 2'! passes through such opening and has a ring 3| at its upper end. At its lower end it is secured to a ticket remover comprising a tube 32 carried at the lower end of the spindle, a base portion 33 having a hole 34 for the cable and an angle bracket 35. r

The disc is formed. with a central opening 36 and equally spaced slots 37 leading outwardly therefrom, one to receive each spindle, and the slots are radially aligned with the lower terminals of the spindles. Because of the outward bias of the spring spindles they engage the inner terminals of the slots and when such upper ends are moved toward the center under a bending stress, they snap back into the slots when the ending stress is released.

The cover 39 is preferably formed as a casting and has a downwardly extending annular flange 40 which encloses the upper edge of the housing. The cover has a downwardly recessed central portion 4| which is generally circular in shape. A boss 42 extends downwardly from the lower surface of the central section on one side of the center and another boss 43, formed with a radial extension 44 is disposed on the other side of the center. Both bosses have slots on their lower surfaces which receive locking bolts 45 which are slidably mounted in said slots and which are prevented from falling from the slots by plates 45 secured on the lower surfaces of the bosses. When the bolts are moved radial y outwardly, they engage the underside of disc 22 adjacent the central opening and prevent removal of the cover. They are moved outwardly by means of a lever 4'! pivotally connected at 48 at its outer terminals to the inner terminals of bolts 45. At its center, lever 41 is secured to the lower end of a cylinder 5| mounted in a lock housing 52. A removable key passing into the upper end of the cylinder permits rotation of the lever to lock the cover to the housing. This lock is preferably of the type wherein the key can be removed only when the parts are in locked position.

The cover is provided with an opening defined at its outer edge by a curved section 54 and leading forwardly from such edge is an upwardly inclined surface 55, lying at an angle of about 45 from the vertical. At the opposed ends of curved edge 54 are short radial edges 5'! formed at the lower end of diagonal walls 6| whose inner edges have vertical slots 62 through which the upper ends of the spindle pass as the cover is rotated relative to the cylindrical housing.

Opposite the curved edge 54 is a straight edge 63 at the forward part of recessed central portion 4!. of Figs. 1 and 2 that edge 63 lies on a plane slightly above that of disc 22 for a reason to be pointed out. The surface behind edge 63 is bevelled upwardly as shown at 64. A radial slot leads inwardly from edge 53. On the lower surface of central portion 4|, on the opposite side of slot 65, there are formed walls 65 and to the rear of such slot there is formed a relatively deep bafiie 1c. The forward sections of the lower edges of walls 65 are inclined as shown at 61.

The cover is arranged to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction relative to the casing, as shown in Fig. 4, and for the purpose of locating the cover in such position that a spindle is aligned with one of slots 3'1. Pawls 1| formed from spring steel are mounted at the lower ends of bosses l2 spaced equidistant adjacent the annular flange. One of such pawls is secured cantrally relative to curved edge 54 and no mounting boss is required at this point because of lower elevation of the position of the cover. Each pawl is formed with an upturned shoulder 13 and the pawl is received in a detent element comprising a downwardly struck out portion 14 leaving an edge '.'5 against which shoulder 13 rests.

It will be noted from an examination 1 aid the tickets in this downward travel.

The upper surface of disc 22 has the number 1, 2 3 imprinted adjacent the respective slots 31 and between the number 3 slot and the number 1 slot is the notation Lock and adjacent sucn notation is a stop 11.

The tickets used in connection with the instant device include a patrons portion and a stub portion 8| separated by a perforated or other weakened line 82. Stub portion 8| has a hole 83 therein. The several tickets are all originally connected in a continuous strip and the patron buys 1, 2, 3 or more depending upon the size of his party and the ticket issuing machine cuts off the designated number from the roll.

The cover is initially positioned so that slot 65 is aligned with slot 37 in the number 1 position. In this position all three of the ratchets are disposed within the detents. The upper end of the number one spindle is alone exposed and rests against the inner end of slot 31. In the case of a party of five, the patron presents the ticket strip of Fig. 7 to the ticket collector who separates the stub 8| from the tickets along perforated line 82, returns portion to the patron, and then places portion 8| on the exposed section of disc 22 with the upper end of the spindle passing through any one of holes 83, preferably a central one. The spindle is now moved rearwardly into slot 65 in the cover and the ticket passes under edge 63 which, as was earlier pointed out, is disposed above the plane of disc 22. The ticket no longer having the support of disc 22 drops down the spindle. The inclined forward edges 61 of spaced walls 66 act as a stripper to If the inner dge of the ticket strip is not substantially parallel with inner edge 63 of the cover opening, the inner edge of the strip contacts bafile l0 and by the time the spindle has moved to the inner end of slot 65 the ticket strip has been moved to a parallel position with reference to edge 63 and the ticket drops.

Although the tickets are all parallel with the forward face of baffle 10 when they drop, they rotate as they fall and assume various radial positions at the bottom (Fig. 1). When the first spindle is filled the cover is manually rotated to expose the number 2 spindle. There is nothing to prevent this forward rotation since the inclined portions of the ratchets simply ride up the inclined surfaces of the detents I4. The cover does not become locked against forward rotation until the number 3 spindle has been passed and the collector is in each instance aware of i the proper place to stop rotation when he hears the pawls drop into the detents. Also slots 31 and 55 become aligned at each one of the stations.

After the third spindle is filled the ticket collector rotates the cover further about one-half of one increment at which time radial extension 44 of boss 43 contacts stop i1, preventing further forward rotation. Also a pawl drops into an intermediate detent 14 adjacent stop Tl, thus preventing rearward rotation. Thus all the spindles are covered and the housing is fully locked. Access to the impaled tickets is impossible because of walls 65 on opposite sides of slot 65.

If the spindles are filled almost to overflowing, inclined extensions of plates 45 push the tickets down during rotation of the cover. To remove the tickets from a spindle the lock is manipulated to unlocked position, thereby retracting bolts 45, and the cover is removed. A. cord 82 is now passed through an opening 83 at the upper end of the spindle. Cord 21 is drawn upwardly, drawing aena'zco 5 with it ticket remover 33 and the tickets pass onto the cord 82:. The. ends of this: cord are now tied together and the tickets are ready for delivery to the oifice.

The modified form of the invention. shown in Figs. 8- to 12, inclusive, is largely similar to the first embodiment except. that the spindles, four in number instead. of three, are biased inwardly instead of outwardly.

The apparatus. includes a cylindrical housing 90 and a. lower wall. 9t formed with an annular seatv 92 to receive the housing and an annular flange 93. Holes 94,, equally spaced. from the center and from each other, receive the lower ends of spindles 95. These lower end. portions are threaded and are of reduced diameter so as to form a. shoulder which engages the upper surface of lower wall 91. The spindles are secured on the base wall by nuts 96. The holes are inclined toward the center so that the upper ends. oi the spindles have a similar inward inclination. Alternatively, the holes may be vertical and the lower ends of the spindles be suitably bent to give the same result.

An upper wall 99 is suitably secured on: the housing and has rectangular openings I provided with inner extensions IIH of triangular shapeand the upper ends of. the spindles are urged against the innermost corner section I02. The upper wall further-has four holes I-03 for the ticket-stripping cables I04 which have rings I at their upper ends. Attheir lower ends the cables are secured to ticket strippers comprising a tube: ['06 carried concentrically of each spindle, a base I In and a bracket I08.

A cover II'I having an annular flange H2 is mounted-v forrotation on the upper end of the housing and for the purpose of securing the cover against unauthorized removal while. permitting rotation relative to the housing, a post I; I3 having an. annular flange H4 is mounted centrally of upper wall: Illil by means of a. headed pin H5 which may be formed. integrally with the post. A lock H6 is secured centrally of the cover and has a rotatable bolt I'Il arranged to underlie flange: I-I4 when the parts are in locked position. Thus the cover may be rotated. but not removed, unless unlocked.

The rotatable cover is of special. construction. On a plane below upper horizontal section II I it has a lower wall section I2I- and a vertical wall I22 connecting the upper and lower walls. The lower wall. section has an arcuate opening defined by a curved edge I23- and a straight edge I24": at the lower end of the vertical wall. The latter has vertical slots i25 at opposite ends of the straight edge I24, and curved edge I23.- has a cen-- tral, radial slot I26 leading toward the outer periphery of the cover.

Spaced ribs I30 extend outwardly from the. outer end of slot I26 on the lower surface of lower wall section I2 I. The lower edges of these ribs are: upwardly and inwardly inclined so as to obtain a stripping action if the ticket does not readily'fall due to gravity;

An annular flange I-3I is formed on the lower surface of upper wall portion III of the cover to prevent undue movement of the unexposed spindles' and also toprevent tickets from falling off these unexposed spindles if the housing should be inadvertently turned upside down.

This flange is continuous until it reaches slot I26 at which point it proceeds outwardly and across the outer end of the slot although in that section which is disposed forwardly of wall I24 it is of lesser depth than in the rear portion.

Wall. [24. continues to the perimeter of thecover as shown at I32.

For the purpose of. locating the spindles successively in their ticket applying stations; the lower surface of the cover is provided with spaced pawls I33 which are mounted. on bosses. I34 and which drop intodetents I35. These detents are struck downwardly from the: metal forming upper fixed wall 99' and thus leave a shoulder I36 against which pawls rest to prevent reverse rotation.

There are four equally spaced detents I35 so that on each increment of rotation in a counterclockwise direction all four pawls drop into. detents. There is also oneadditional detent I35 and adjacent such detent is a stop pin I38 which encounters wall section I32, thus stopping rota tion of the cover and also preventing reverse rotation thereof. In this position. two of the spin.- dles are exposed but these spindles are inaccessible from outside of the housing.

While two forms or embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction. and arrangement incidental to two specific applications thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the more details or relative arrangement of. parts, nor to its specific embodiments shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated forms or embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

I claim:

1. A closed ticket receptable provided with plural spindlesv which receive pro-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a generally cylindrical. housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having spaced. openlugs for the upper ends of the spindles, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall and having a recessed. portion on. one side thereof, an opening in. said recessed portion exposing a portion of the upper wall,. and a slot extending radially from the opening, the spindles being mounted on the lower wall in spring biased relation, a wallv section of the cover extending down to the recessed portion and having openings through. which th spindles may pass as the cover is rotated, cooperating pawl. and ratchet means between the cover and upper wall for locating the cover in position wherein the several spindles are. successively aligned with the opening in the recessed portion.

2- A closed ticket. receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pro-punched tickets in impaled relation, the. receptacle including a housing provided with fixed; lower and. upper walls, the latter having radial. slots therein. which receive the upper ends of the spindles, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall,. the spindles being. mounted at their lower ends on the lower-"wall in spring biased relation so as to. cause. the spindles to be urged against the outer ends of the slots, the cover having a downwardly recessed portion and an. arcuate opening exposing a portion of the upper-wall and a radial slot leading inwardly from the opening which is successively aligned with the several slots in the upper wall as the cover is rotated to an adjusted, fixed position.

3. A closed ticket receptacl provided with plural spindles which receive pro-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a generally cylindrical housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having a central opening and spaced slots extending radially outwardly therefrom and which receive the upper ends of the spindles therein, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall, the spindles being mounted at their lower ends on the lower wall in spring baised relation so as to cause the spindles to be urged against the outer ends of the slots, the cover having a central downwardly recessed portion and an opening on one side of said portion exposing a portion of the upper wall and a radial slot leading inwardly from the opening which is successively aligned with the several slots in the upper wall as the cover is rotated to an adjusted, fixed position.

4. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a houning provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having a central opening and spaced slots extending radially outwardly therefrom and which receive the upper ends of the spindles therein, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the wall, means for mounting the spindles at their lower ends on the lower wall so as to cause the spindles to be urged against the outer ends of the slots, the cover havin a radial slot leading inwardly from the opening which is successively aligned with the several slots in the upper wall as the cover is rotated to an adjusted, fixed position, a lock for securing the cover to the upper well while permitting forward rotation of the cover, and a stop limiting forward rotation of the cover after the last spindle position has been passed.

5. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punchecl tickets in '7- impaled relation, the receptacle including a generally cylindrical housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having a central opening and spaced slots extending radially outwardly therefrom and which receive the upper ends of the spindles therein, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall, the spindles being mounted at their lower ends on the lower wall in spring biased relation so as to cause the spindles to be urged against the outer ends of the slots, the cover having a central, downwardly recessed portion, an arcuate opening on one side of said portion exposing a portion of the upper wall and a radial slot leading inwardly from the opening which is successively aligned with each of the several slots in the upper wall as the cover is rotated to an adjusted, fixed position, the opening being only of such length as to expose not more than one spindle at a time, a downwardly extending baffle at the rear of said radial slot and inclined walls on opposite sides thereof and whose forward edges are upwardly inclined, plural ratchets and detents, respectively, on the cover and upper wall for positioning the cover relative to said upper wall and preventing reverse rotation thereof, a lock for securing the cover to the upper wall while permitting forward rotation of the cover, and a stop limiting forward rotation of the cover after the last spindle position has been passed.

6. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a generally cylindrical housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having spaced openings for the upper ends of the spindles, and a Cir 8 cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall and having a recessed portion on one side thereof, an opening in said recessed portion exposing a portion of the upper wall, and a slot leading outwardly from the opening.

7. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having spaced openings for the upper ends of the spindles, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall and having a recessed portion on one side thereof, an opening in said recessed portion exposing a portion of the upper wall, and a slot leading outwardly from the opening, the spindles being mounted on the lower wall in spring biased relation so a to cause the spindles to be urged against the inner ends of the upper wall openings, cooperating pawl and ratchet means between the cover and upper wall for locating the cover in position wherein the several spindles are successively aligned with the opening in the recessed portion.

8. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having spaced openings for the upper ends of the spindles, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall and having a recessed portion on one side thereof, an opening in said recessed portion exposing a portion of the upper wall, and a slot leading outwardly from the opening, means for mounting the spindles on the lower wall so as to cause the spindles to be urged against the inner ends of the upper wall openings, and wall portions extending downwardly from the edges or" the slot.

9. A closed ticket receptacle provided with plural spindles which receive pre-punched tickets in impaled relation, the receptacle including a generally cylindrical housing provided with a lower wall, a fixed upper wall having spaced opening for the upper ends of the spindles, and a cover mounted for rotation relative to the upper wall and having a recessed portion on one side thereof, an opening in said recessed portion exposing a portion of the upper wall, and a slot leading outwardly from the opening, the spindles being mounted on the lower wall in spring biased relation so as to cause the spindles to be urged against the inner ends of the upper wall openings, a wall section of the cover extending down to the recessed portion and having openings through which the spindles may pass as the cover is rotated, cooperating ratchets and detents between the cover and upper wall for locating the cover in positions wherein the several spindles are successively aligned with the slot in the recessed portion, and. wall portions extending downwardly from the edges of such opening.

RICHARD I. N. WEINGART.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,190,152 Gross July 4, 1916 2,504,770 Weingart Apr. 18, 1950 2,511,431 Dashkin June 13, 1950 2,529,750 Weingart Nov. 14, 1950 

